Road Kill By Gregg Easterbrook Analysis

Gregg Easterbrook, a fellow of the Brookings Institution and author of The Progress Paradox, argues in his article “Road Kill,” that people in the United States are not paying attention to a major killer: our roads. In his essay, Easterbrook explains the lack of attention to the threat of road accidents, even comparing it to 9/11, which has become a serious threat to Americans on the road, and even worldwide. Many Americans dismiss the problem, even though it is huge even if it is not perceived as a huge threat like terrorism. Some causes of the rise in accident casualties proposed by Easterbrook are distracted driving and the rapid increase of horsepower. Easterbrook proposes multiple solutions to the problem, such as increased legislation on distracted driving and reducing horsepower in cars (A1-4). Easterbrook brings traffic accidents in contrast to the events of the tragedy of September eleventh, 2001 (A2). The number of deaths on 9/11: 3000, compared to the “42,642 traffic deaths in 2006” (Easterbrook A2). Easterbrook writes that in 2006 alone, 1.2 million people were killed on roads all around the world, compared to “100,000 dead as a result of combat” (A2). This huge comparison shows the huge deaths from

Using a cell phone while driving has become increasingly common on our roads today. “Driving while yakking may seem harmless to you,” argues Easterbrook, “but try telling that to the loved ones of the hundreds or even thousands who die each year in totally avoidable phone-related accidents” (A-3). He proposes that there are more methods of catching people carrying out distracted driving. He poses the question, “If automated cameras can issue speeding tickets, why can’t they issue tickets to the owners of cars photographed with a driver using a phone” (A3)? Other potential dangers can even come from the cars themselves